In traditional computing architecture, storage devices such as hard disks and floppy disks have been directly attached to the computer systems that access the storage devices. Recent development in technology, however, has led to a topology of systems where storage devices are attached to various switched fabrics, instead of being directly attached to a particular computer system. Examples of switched fabrics include a switched fabric implementing network protocols such as the TCP/IP, software and/or hardware stacks, and wireless networks. The devices attached to these switched fabrics, referred to as networked devices (NDs), are able to operate, for example, on IP networks, and provide file sharing and storage services. Although these NDs have the capability to communicate over such fabrics, the NDs often lack the intelligence of the systems that historically hosted storage or other devices directly.
For example, NDs are typically part of a larger set of devices, systems, and components making up what is sometimes referred to as the enterprise. In an enterprise, it is desirable both to share resources and to preclude sharing of resources. For instance, a storage device in some cases may be shared among multiple consumers, while at other times, it is desirable to have the storage device accessed or controlled by one consumer or process at a time. Further, the entities that are accessed often do not have the intelligence to know when or what accesses are appropriate.
Accordingly, there is a need for a locking method and system, for example to control, manage, and/or provide access control to the various NDs, for example, to preclude multiple entities from accessing the NDs when a situation calls for it.